In honor of the new Godzilla movie that was just released (the one that I can’t believe I haven’t seen yet), I’ve dedicated this post to Destroy All Monsters, the ultimate kaiju battle royale film. Destroy All Monsters was released in 1968 and featured 11 monsters from the Toho universe. Ten of which targeted their sights and awesome roars at King Ghidorah. Take a look at this orgasm-producing image:
DAM was created to celebrate Toho’s 20th kaiju film. And just like all the plots from Godzilla movies prior to DAM, it was only worth paying attention in fast forward. The only scenes worth watching in real time during the entire 88 minute film was the early scene where mind-controlled kaijus were wrecking havoc on major landmarks around the world, the final battle royale at the end of movie, and the scene where the monsters return to Monsterland (Monster Island).
About 10 minutes into the film, a Japanese control room with multiple monitors start showing a massive attack by kaijus: Rodan destroying Moscow, Mothra causing chaos in Beijing, Gorosaurus destroying the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, Manda constricting around London Bridge, and Godzilla taking a bite out of the Big Apple. Gozilla, Rodan, Manda, and Mothra come together later in the film to attack Tokyo.
FAST FORWARD to about 20 minutes remaining in the movie to watch Godzilla, Minilla, Mothra, Rodan, Gorosaurus, Baragon, Varan, Anguirus, Manda, and Kumonga (Spiga) take on the three-headed King Ghidorah at the base of Mt. Fuji. It’s a bad ass battle that actually shows Anguirus showing he’s actually worth paying attention to and not always just getting his ass kicked. (though it would have been cool to see him do his jumping-backwards-impale enemy attack thing).
Ghidorah, of course, succumbs to the weight of 10 kaijus (but really it’s just Godzilla, Rodan, Anguirus, and Gorosaurus that do the fighting). Ghidorah ends up getting his neck stomped on by Big G while the monster lets out a shrill scream.
After saving the earth, a helicopter flies over Monsterland with he passengers looking down and seeing all the kaijus that have returned to live peacefully — each one making a cameo as the film closes.
I’ll watch this final scene no less than 10 times during any viewing.
